Main Gates Research Articles

Image of the Baluwarti Old Town, Surakarta Sunanate Palace

Abstract Baluwarti is a Javanese heritage kampong located in the old town area of the Surakarta Sunanate Palace from 1975 to the present and has various unique forms of historical value. The Baluwarti area starts from the northern entrance of the Gladhag Gate, along with the space inside the Baluwarti fort, up to the southern gate of Gading Gate. People have various perceptions imageability of the old town of Baluwarti. Baluwarti has elements that form the image of the city based on Kevin Lynch’s theory. Namely “paths” in the form of streets and alleys within the area, Baluwarti forts as “edges,” kampong area with a unique toponym in the Baluwarti area as “district”; streets and alleys intersections as “nodes”; and the noblemen’s residences of the Surakarta Sunanate Palace and shape of the main gates as “landmarks.” This study aims to find out the public’s perception of the image of the old town of Baluwarti, according to members of the Indonesian Institute of Architects in the Surakarta region. This study uses quantitative methods by collecting data, field observations, reviewing the literature, then processing it into a questionnaire involving thirty four respondents who are members of the Indonesian Architects Association in the Surakarta region. The findings of this research indicate that the perception of the old town of Baluwarti for members of the Indonesian Architects Association in the Surakarta region is that the Kori Brojonolo Lor (north gate) is the most robust image in the Baluwarti region. Stakeholders can use the results of this research to develop the Baluwarti area to strengthen the image of the old town of Baluwarti.

RESEARCH OF MANIFESTATION OF THE ORAL MUCOSA IN COVID-19

The oral cavity is one of the main gates for coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2); the oral cavity also suffers greatly from this infection, because it is one of the most vulnerable places. In addition, since the salivary glands can serve as a reservoir for viruses and support their release into the external environment, it was concluded that saliva, as a component of oral fluid, can play an important role in the spread of coronavirus infection. This is mainly due to the ACE-2 receptor, which have a high level of expression in the keratinized surface epithelial cells of the oral mucosa, especially in the epithelial cells of the dorsal part of the tongue, tonsils, vocal cords, salivary glands and sinuses, due to which the virus replicates in and causes both oral lesions and oral symptoms mouth After entering the cell, the virus delays the response of the immune system, allowing the infection to progress, and it becomes much more difficult to fight it. Accordingly, due to the relatively high level of COVID-19-associated complications, timely diagnosis of clinical forms, including high-risk patients with prognosis their clinical course and the selection of drug treatment appropriate to the severity of the clinical course remain quite complex and controversial issues. It was emphasized that in some cases oral symptoms may be the initial or only sign of disease, and dentists should take this into account when performing a thorough clinical examination of the oral cavity.

Предвратные сооружения на плато Эски-Кермен: реальность и домыслы

Introduction. The architectural complex around the main (southern) gates of the city on the Eski-Kermen plateau in the mountainous Crimea was formed from the end of the 6th century to the end of the 13th century. It included structures that were different in architecture and purpose. Studying the remains of these structures, determining their role and chronology are important tasks in the study and reconstruction of the history of the city. Methods. The area around the gate was explored by N.I. Repnikov in 1929. Brief descriptions of the open remains of the structures are reflected in publications and archival documents. Based on the analysis of these descriptions and the study of the preserved rock foundations, first time in the historiography the article revises the widespread hypothesis about existence of the gate church in the medieval city on the plateau of Eski-Kermen in the mountainous Crimea. Analysis. Some researchers see an apse of this church in a rounded carved pit located in front of the main gate, east of the corridor carved into the rock leading to the city. Features of the architectural space at the city gates and the location of this clearing are likely to have its presence at the gate church. This felling arose simultaneously with the defensive structures near the gates in the end of the 6th c. As is known, gate churches as a type of church architecture appeared in the Eastern Christian world no earlier than the 10th or 11th centuries. Results. There is no reason to talk about the gate church on the plateau of Eski-Kermen. Directly at the entrance to the city (to the west of the passage) there was only one church-chapel of the 9th – 10th centuries, destroyed by an earthquake even before the onset of the city, burned at the end of the 13th century.

PERAMALAN JUMLAH KEDATANGAN WISATAWAN ASING BANDARA DI BALI DAN BANTEN MENGGUNAKAN METODE HOLT-WINTER ADITIF DAN MULTIPLIKATIF

Tourism is an important sector in the Indonesian economy. One of the benchmarks for the development of the tourism sector is the number of foreign tourist arrivals to Indonesia. Forecasting the number of foreign tourist arrivals is needed so that actors contributing to the tourism sector can optimize their service efforts. It is necessary to forecast the number of foreign tourist arrivals, especially through the arrival gate at I Gusti Ngurah Rai airport (Bali) and Soekarno-Hatta airport (Banten) as one of the main arrival gates most visited by foreign tourists. This study aims to predict the number of foreign tourist arrivals through the airport by comparing the accuracy of the Holt-Winter's additive and multiplicative method. MAPE (Mean Absolute Percentage Error) and the Durbin Watson statistical test are used and to measure the accuracy of the forecast value against the original data. Overall, the MAPE value and Durbin Watson statistical test result indicate that the additive and multiplicative approaches are good enough to be used. However, judging from the smallest MAPE value, Holt-Winter multiplicative is better used in processing data on the number of foreign tourist arrivals at both I Gusti Ngurah Rai and Soekarno-Hatta airports with MAPE values ??of 7.57% and 6.80% respectively.

Analysis of the results of the study of vibrations the supporting structure of the gates of spillway structures during the operation of hydroelectric power plants

The article discusses the features of the operation of the main gates of spillway structures during the operation of the HPP. As it is known, the main spillway gates are installed at the outlet of the spillway openings into the downstream of the hydroelectric power station. The gates serve to block the openings of the spillway structure, which is opened to discharge water into a flood, as well as in the event of a disaster with an overlying hydroelectric power plant, thereby ensuring reliable operation of the entire water supply path of the hydroelectric power plant. Using the example of the Zhigulevskaya HPP, during the operation of the gates of the spillway structures, stresses in the gate structures, vibrations of the gate elements and the magnitude of the forces in the gate rod during lifting and lowering operations were determined, which made it possible to identify defects in their operation and determine recommendations for their elimination. In addition, the article discusses the results of the study of vibrations of the supporting structure of the gates of the hydroelectric power plant, which could be obtained only after identifying the features of the main gates on the spillway structures during the operation of the hydropower plant. Regarding the nature and origin of the measured oscillations, it can be said that it is not possible to give a clear explanation of the causes and physical nature of the gate oscillations at the HPP, therefore, the article considers two cases as a result of which periodic undamped gate oscillations may occur. Since it has been established that the periodic undamped oscillations registered on the gate could only be caused by a periodic disturbing force, the cause of such oscillations may be the periodic separation of vortices from the lower face of the gate. As a result, the analysis of the study of vibrations, the supporting structure of the shutter showed that the main disturbing forces for the shutter could be: pulsation of the flow pressure on the upper and lower surfaces of the shutter; dynamic forces arising when the vortices are detached from the lower face of the shutter when water flows out from under it. The article provides recommendations for avoiding vibration of the shutter in subsequent periods of operation.

Assessing the possibility of changing the monitoring frequency of the residual thicknesses of the navigation locks gates elements

One of the main methods for monitoring the technical condition of the navigation locks gates is to determine the amount of corrosion wear of their elements using ultrasonic thickness measurement. This diagnostic operation is performed at least once every five years. In accordance with the methodology, the control requires the removal of the protective coating in the measurement area. At the same time, there is no possibility of a full restoration of the coating. The specified frequency of measurements is adopted based on the peculiarities of the maintenance of locks and the durability of protective coatings, the service life of which does not exceed 5 years. It is noted that recently, the cases of measurements with a satisfactory technical condition of the protective coating on the elements of the structures, which are being examined, have been more frequent. This circumstance indicates an increase in the service life of protective coatings and, consequently, the possibility of revising the established frequency of measurements of the residual thickness of the gates elements. In this regard, the purpose of the study is to assess the possibility of changing the timing of ultrasonic thickness measurement during primary and periodic measurements of the residual thicknesses of the gate elements, taking into account the state of the protective coating. To achieve this goal, the collection and analysis of the range of protective coatings used in the anticorrosion protection of the main and emergency repair gates of navigation locks, their service life, as well as permissible deviations in thickness for the supplied rolled metal, are carried out. It has been established that epoxy-based protective coatings are most often used as primer and top coats. The thickness of the applied coatings has increased by 2–3 times and averages 200–350 µm. Damage to coatings in the period from 5 to 10 years of operation averages about 6 % of the total surface area. In the course of the study, it has been also found that the permissible minus limit values for deviations in the thickness of the supplied rolled products can range from 0.8 to 4.2 mm, depending on the thickness of the sheet and the accuracy of its manufacture. The presence of such deviations has a particularly negative effect on the resource of small thicknesses. Additionally, the maximum average value of the corrosion rate of metal structure elements in operation is determined. The totality of the information obtained makes it possible to develop recommendations for changing the timing of the residual thicknesses measurement, ensuring the safe operation of the considered elements of mechanical equipment.

There Is a Lot More to Transplantation Surgery Than the Surgery Itself: The "Other" Sir Peter John Morris, AC, FRS.

There Is a Lot More to Transplantation Surgery Than the Surgery Itself: The "Other" Sir Peter John Morris, AC, FRS.

РЕСТАВРАЦІЯ БРАМ МОНАСТИРСЬКОГО КОМПЛЕКСУ СВЯТОГО ЮРА У ЛЬВОВІ

The main gates were intended for the passage or passage of a large number of people in public, defensive or sacred complexes. They also had a symbolic meaning. In monastery and temple complexes, the main gate served as a boundary between secular and divine space with high spiritual values, a place of prayer and repentance. The article examines the main entrance gates of the St. George complex, which have survived to this day in an almost authentic form.The architectural, artistic and compositional solution of two gates - important structural elements of the St. George complex - was considered and analyzed. Architects created high-art works using architectural and artistic means, which according to their proportions, artistic and compositional solutions fit harmoniously into the structure of the St. George complex. The architecture of the gates reflects the skill and talent of artists of a certain historical era. They belong to unique works of art that have historical and cultural value, therefore their protection and preservation is relevant nowadays. In the process of research, the technical condition of the two gates was studied and restoration measures were developed in order to preserve them from further destruction.

Patterns of media and social media use in generation z in Indonesia

Industry 4.0 makes everything shift from conventional to digital, and this conversion also changes media consumption habits among Generation Z. This generation is important because Generation Z is the largest digital consumer in Indonesia. This study discusses Generation Z’s media consumption in Indonesia during the pandemic. This study aims to discover how the pattern of media consumption and use of social media in Generation Z in the pandemic era coincides with the industrial era 4.0. This study uses a survey method of 1177 respondents, and this type of research is descriptive exploratory with purposive sampling. The age range of respondents is 15-25 years from all over Indonesia. An interesting finding from this study is that the media that are the main gates of Generation Z in getting information are instant messaging applications and social media. The primary purpose of media from Generation Z is to seek entertainment, but Generation Z is also looking for non-entertainment/serious information, such as information related to education and work.

Optimalisasi Penataan Fasilitas Wisata Danau Sendang Cinta Di Battu Winangun

Tourism has the economic potential to support regional income. One of the natural resources located in Battu Winangun Village is the water area, namely Lake Sendang Cinta. The method used in this service is the method of observation, interviews and outreach. The concept of optimizing the Sendang Cinta Lake area is by building parking facilities, toilets, places to eat, parks, main gates, and wharves and tourism development in an area that involves the participation of community members in tourism development plans, which makes the area have certain characteristics and play a role major in this activity.

IDENTIFIKASI DAMPAK AKSES JALAN TOL TERHADAP PENGGUNAAN LAHAN PERMUKIMAN DI KECAMATAN TEMBALANG

Construction of toll roads can be a generator in the development of Semarang City. It can be seen from the indications of an increase in population, and an increase in built-up land. A significant increase in the number of residents was in Tembalang District, namely 76,856 people. The expansion of built-up land is starting to be seen clearly in the city of Semarang, one of which is Bulusan Village and Tembalang Village which are located in Tembalang District. The development that took place in the Kelurahan was in the form of settlements (clean and slums) and trade and services and began to move rapidly since there was access to the Tembalang toll gate in the Tembalang Sub-District. In addition, there is a main driving factor for this increase, namely the difference between the Undip campus which is in the Tembalang Village. This study aims to identify how far the impact caused by the existence of toll gates in Tembalang Village from the spatial aspect in the form of residential land use (clean and slum). In achieving this goal, a spatial analysis of changes in land use was carried out from 1998 to 2018. Spatial urban development can be identified using land use data extracted from multitemporal Landsat imagery (Landsat 5 TM 1998, Landsat 7 ETM+ years, Landsat 7 ETM+ years 2003, Landsat 7 ETM+ in 2008, Landsat 7 ETM+ in 2013, Landsat 8 OLI in 2018). The results of the classification of land use show that the overall development of the city of Semarang leads to the east and south, the sub-districts with the number of built-up land growth are Tembalang, Banyumanik, Ngaliyan, Genuk, and Pedurungan. Then it was lowered again until the sub-district unit in Tembalang District saw an increase in built-up land in Tembalang and Bulusan Districts, both of which are the main gates using toll road access from the Tembalang Toll Gate.

Малые храмы на городище Эски-Кермен

First time in the historiography, this article analyses and summarises the information about 10 small churches uncovered on the plateau of Eski-Kermen and a semi-circular carved pit in front of the city gate, which is called the “apse” of the “gate church” that does not survive (III). However, the cult purpose of this carved structure remains questionable. The small churches belong to the same time with a single nave (naos) and a semi-circular apse. The narthex, probably of a later date, appeared only in 2018–2019 church (XI). The construction and structural characteristics of the churches in question are also very similar. Their builders used the foundations cut into bedrock, or the “beddings.” There was two-face masonry with the core of fine stones, broken pottery, clay, and soil. The churches were covered with tiled roof on wooden rafters. There is a church featuring remains of plinth pavement (IX), and another one with the pavement of polished stone slabs (XI). The destruction layers of four churches contained the remains of fresco paintings (VII, VIII, IX, XI). Some of the churches were adorned with architectural details with incised geometrical ornaments, sometimes with crosses. Most of the small churches of Eski-Kermen have preserved the remains of the altar and altar screen. Two churches (IV, VI) have small niches of prothesis in the wall to the left of the apse. Therefore, most or possibly all the small churches of Eski-Kermen were adapted for liturgy. Almost all the churches were also used for funeral and commemorative rituals, as different kinds of graves, including ossuaries, occurred in their complexes. The appearance of small churches atop of the plateau of Eski-Kermen has been dated to the ninth and tenth centuries and related to the intensification of urban life. Four churches (I, II, IV, V) were located at the access road and near the main town gates. Three churches (IV, V, VI) were built at the sites of former fortifications. Quarter churches (VIII, X, XI) are uncovered in three town quarters. According to the archaeological materials, one of them (X) dates from not earlier than the mid-tenth century, and another (XI) one at the turn of tenth and eleventh centuries. The latest is the cemetery church (IX) constructed in the fourteenth century at the ruined cathedral basilica, where the cemetery appeared after the destruction of the town by a raid of Nogay’s horde. A great part of the small churches probably perished along with the town in the late thirteenth century. The churches in the access road area (I, II, IV) were probably destroyed earlier, in result of an earthquake. Small above-ground churches are also known in the vicinity of Eski-Kermen. The remains of one of them occur in the fort of Kyz-Kule on a promontory to the north-west of Eski-Kermen. Presumably, there was another church at the foot of this mountain.

MANAJEMEN PENGELOLAAN WILAYAH PESISIR DALAM MENUNJANG KEPARIWISATAAN DI PANTAI MATTIROTASI KOTA PAREPARE

Based on the results of research in the management of coastal areas in increasing tourists visiting Mattirotasi Beach, it is known that the results of the analysis of the coastal tourism environment are known to have a coastal height of 0-3 meters above sea level with a slope of 0-8%, coastal bathymetry in the city of Parepare, wind speeds ranging from 173.4 m. /min to 117.6 n/min can generate sea waves with a height of 0.5-1.2 meters. Meanwhile, in the East monsoon, which has a range of wind speeds between 133.2-45 m/s, it is able to generate waves that reach a height of 0.4 – 1.4 meters. up to 0.1852 m/s. With wave intervals ranging from +1.1 meters to 1.5, and seeing the potential for attraction, there is the Nusantara Port which functions as one of the main gates as access to Tanjungpinang City. This area stretches for ± 5 Km and is directly adjacent to the waters, so it has the potential to be developed as a recreational area with the potential to present a sunset view by the beach and Suppa Bay. This condition is also supported by the strategic position of the City of Parepare as a Madya City which is a connecting node in the central part of South Sulawesi Province towards West Sulawesi and the northern part of South Sulawesi Province. Therefore, the Mattirotasi coastal area is a coastal tourist attraction that has quite a variety of attractions. This beach tourism activity is included in the recreational category, which is the type of activity that is most dominantly carried out by tourists.

Analysis of the operation of mechanical equipment during the operation of hydro engineering facilities of HPP

According to its technological purpose and location, the mechanical equipment of the hydrotechnical structures of the hydroelectric power station is divided into three groups: the equipment of the upstream shield room, the turbine room and the downstream shield room. The article discusses in detail the main features and problems that arise during the operation of the mechanical equipment of the upstream shield compartment. This mechanical equipment serves to protect the units from overclocking; overlapping of inlet openings of spillways in case of accidents with main gates; for fencing from the headwater side when access to the underwater parts of the structure and equipment is required. It is noted that a feature of the operation of mechanical equipment is a large number of metal structures that are under water or are wetted with water and thereby undergo biochemical corrosion, which causes intensive destruction of the metal. The ways of preventing the development of corrosion and methods that ensure the durability and effectiveness of protection against biological fouling, metal structures at hydroelectric power plants are presented.

ELECTRIC CYLINDER AS A PROMISING TYPE OF ELECTROMECHANICAL DRIVE OF THE MAIN DOUBLE-LEAF GATES OF SHIPPING LOCKS IN RUSSIA

The electric cylinder as a promising type of electromechanical drive for controlling the main miter gates is analyzed based on domestic and foreign experience. It is shown that, for a number of reasons, several different types of electric drives are in operation in Russia, differing from each other in kinematic schemes, operating parameters, dimensions and operational costs. Variety of electric drives types reduces their serviceability, requires the search for spare elements, the performance of repair work by third-party organizations, which, in turn, reduces the productivity of the gateway process. The operated electromechanical and electrohydraulic inputs of the main double-leaf miter gates of navigable locks with a chamber width of about 18 meters are analyzed. It is shown that the results of the drives comparison make it possible to clarify the calculations of the required power and load capacity, to contribute the development of a single regulatory document regulating the process of designing and selecting the operating parameters of an electric cylinder for specific operating conditions. The data compiled on the basis of foreign and domestic experience in the operation of different types of double-leaf miter gate drives, trends in their development, the reasons for their replacement with more modern drives are obtained. Special attention is paid to the disclosure of the reasons for replacing standard drives with an electric cylinder during the locks reconstruction. It is shown that the accurate calculation of the actually required performance indicators and the correct choice of the electric drive type, based on the conditions of future operation, lead to a noticeable increase in the life cycle of the shipping lock and its mechanisms.

Development of technology for additional extraction of potash ore reserves from previously mined out panels at the depths exceeding 600 metres of the Starobin potash salt deposit

Studied the possibility to extend the life of the Production Unit no. 3 mine of JSC “Belaruskali” through the additional extraction of sylvinite ore reserves left in the previously mined panels of the mine field of the 3rd potash level. It was determined, that during the period from 1971 to 1980 a considerable part of the southern direction of the mine field on the area of more than 5,3 million m2 was mined by the roadways on the layers 2, 2–3, 3 without the mining of the 4th sylvinite layer. The volume of the leftover reserves of minerals in the mined panels makes more than 22 million tons. There is direct access to these panels from the main southern gates. As a study result of geological structure of the mined panels it was determined that under the influence of rock pressure the undermined sylvinite layer no. 4 took the form of a wave-shaped seam with the capacity of about 1 meter which rests on compressed inter-chamber pillars and on compressed rocks of layers 2, 2–3, 3 of destroyed inter-roadway pillars, which fills the space of the roadways. Such geological structure of the seam enables to extract minerals using the technology of selective layer mining by successive top and bottom faces. As a study result of the stability of the mine workings performed along the roadways and inter-chamber pillars under conditions of different roof positioning, it was determined that during the preparation of the faces the most advantageous locations for development workings are the areas previously mined by the room and pillar mining system. In this case, the highest stability of mine workings located in the stopes of the room and pillar mining system will be provided by their roofing location with cut of 0.15 m of the 4th sylvinite layer. When this occurs, their predicted life without repair, even without the use of special protection methods, would be between 3.5 and 8 years. Based on the results of the study, a conclusion was made on the technical possibility and economic feasibility of additional extraction of sylvinite ore reserves left in the western panels of the southern direction of the mine field of the 3rd potash level of the Production Unit no. 3 mine, finished over 40 years ago by the room and pillar mining system using selective layer mining technology by the longwall faces. With minimal capital, organizational and technical expenditures, the extraction of these reserves will allow the company to produce additionally 5.5 million tons of potash fertilizers.

TOWARDS CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY: ESTIMATING ON-CAMPUS VEHICLE CO2 EMISSIONS IN UNIMAS

Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission from motor vehicles is a one of major contributing factors to global warming. Efforts to reduce CO2 emissions should involve all parties including universities. In 2017, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) has committed to reduce CO2 emissions from its campus upon joining the low-carbon campus initiative. Thus, the current study aims to estimate the baseline of on-campus vehicle CO2 emissions by using mobility analysis of 5,294 entry vehicle data from two main gates (West and East) and 15 parking zones in the campus. Parking volume observations and traffic assignment analysis using the Bureau of Public Roads functions were undertaken to determine the links’ volumes. Subsequently, vehicle CO2 emissions were derived from the estimated vehicle fuel consumption. The results reveal that a total of 1,333.4 kg of CO2 emissions were expelled by on-campus motorised vehicle movements (which were predominantly petrol cars that comprised 80% of the observed vehicle trips). Additionally, the study discovered that the average on-campus vehicle CO2 emission was 12.4 kg per kilometre which far exceeds the European Standard for road traffic CO2 emissions. Thus, to achieve the status of a low-carbon campus, it is imperative for the university management to properly address Sector 3 CO2 emissions from the transportation segment by employing effective strategies and policies to significantly reduce private vehicle dependency among university staff and students.

DEVELOPMENT OF A CONCENTRIC DRUMS PEELING MACHINE FOR COCOYAM (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) CORMEL

Cocoyam is cultivated mainly for its edible cormels. In spite of its great potential as a cheap raw material, the processing operations are still largely performed manually. Some of the equipment already developed for mechanizing the postharvest operations require further modifications and performance optimization. This study therefore, aimed at developing and evaluating the performance of a cocoyam cormel peeling machine with a view to reducing the drudgery involved in manual peeling. A cocoyam cormel peeling machine was developed using locally available materials. The machine consists of the main frame, hopper and outlet gates, two abrasive concentric drums (one stationary and the other rotating) and blower. Performance of the machine in terms of capacity, peeling efficiency and peel-cormel weight proportion were evaluated for soaked and unsoaked cormels. The average machine capacities were 190 and 220 kg/h for soaked and unsoaked cormels, respectively. The peeling efficiencies ranged between 57.3 and 77.7% while the peel-cormel weight proportions ranged between 13.7 and 18.7%. The peeling efficiency was higher for soaked cormels than unsoaked ones. The developed cocoyam cormel peeling machine helped in reducing the drudgery associated with its peeling operation while soaking as a form of pretreatment was recommended before peeling the cormels for better performance.

Endothelial inflammation and dysfunction in COVID-19.

The biggest challenge in the COVID-19 pandemic besides the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is to reduce mortality rates. As the number of cases continues to rise and new variants, some with at least partial resistance to vaccines, emerge, the need for better understanding of the underlying pathology of the disease and for improved therapeutic strategies grows urgently. The endothelium is a main target of most viral infections in the body. The dysregulation of the normal functions of endothelial cells (ECs) contributes greatly to the thrombo-inflammatory storm and subsequent blood clot associated deaths in COVID-19 patients. Therefore, in this review we emphasize on the importance of ECs in healthy resting state and in inflammation. We summarize the current understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenicity and the key contributions of in vitro cell culture models some of which have established the ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme 2) receptors as the main gates for viral entry in the cell. Lastly, we focus on 3D biofabrication methods for the design of better in vitro models that mimic the host environment including interactions of multiple cell types, simulation of blood flow and real-time viral infections. The development and implementation of such experimental platforms are critical to elucidate host-pathogen interactions and to test new antiviral drugs and vaccines in a controlled, safe, and highly reproducible and predictive manner.

Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Outbreak in the North Region of Oman in August 2019: Case Series Study

Background Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral zoonotic tickborne disease that has been linked to a high mortality rate in a number of nations. In Oman, the first case of CCHF was discovered in 1995. The Directorate of Disease Surveillance and Control received reports of four individuals with CCHF from various places in Northern Oman between August 17 and August 23, 2019 (during the Eid Adha festival). Objective The aim of this study was to identify CCHF patients, determine the source and mechanism of transmission, and recommend preventive measures to avoid further outbreaks. Methods We arranged for a field visit with teams from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Municipality on the same day of notice (August 23-17, 2019) in the region, and a case series study was undertaken using a semistructured questionnaire. Results The findings revealed that all of the patients were men (three were Omanis), ranging in age from 40 to 55 years. Three of the patients worked in slaughterhouses, and all patients had close contact with raw sheep tissues. Fever and gastrointestinal problems were the most common symptoms, with a case fatality rate of 25%. Late bleeding signs and coagulopathy were detected in the patient who died. Conclusions The causative agent was most likely CCHF virus, and the source of the outbreak was infected imported sheep through direct contact with contaminated biological tissues, based on symptoms, signs, lab tests, and the incubation period. All imported sheep must be tested and flagged at the main gates of the three ports in Oman’s north region.